Anglers battle for shot at finals at Saginaw Bay
BAY CITY, Mich. – Sunny skies greeted the RCL semifinalists today at Saginaw Bay. Clear skies, mild winds and temperatures in the 80s are ideal for anglers to hook into a big bag of walleyes today. With the average fish over the last two days weighing more than five pounds, look for those big weights to continue.
Ranger pro Ted Merdan of Maple Grove, Minn., had a tough day yesterday to make it into today’s semifinal round.
“I fished the same areas yesterday as I did on the first day, but the fish just were not there,” said Merdan. “I went hunting yesterday and was lucky enough to find enough fish to make it into this round.”
Merdan and the rest of the semifinalists will have to find their fish today, since they all start from scratch. There is no carry over weight, so anglers who performed well on one of the first two days, won’t have the luxury of two days’ total weight to help move them into the finals.
Ranger pro and winner of the first RCL event of this season at the Detroit River, Jeff Russell of Grand Haven, Mich., ran into problems with hooking smaller fish.
“You really need about 30 pounds to advance into the final round,” said Russell. “Yesterday I had a little 3- to 4-pounder that I could not get rid of. I will need bigger fish to make it into the final round.”
Look for most of the RCL competitors to make either a long run out to the Charity Islands or stay close only a few miles out in the bay. Pulling planer boards and crawler harnesses is the top technique followed by planer boards and crankbaits.
Weigh-in today is at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart at 3921 Wilder Road in Bay City, Mich.
Today’s stats
Sunrise: 5:58 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 60
Expected high temperature: 84
Water temperature: upper 60s off shore, low 70s closer to shore
Water clarity: clear
Wind: calm
Relative humidity: 94 percent
Day’s outlook: plenty of sun with winds WNW at 5-10 mph; highs in the mid-80s
Links:
Day-three photos
Day-three pairings
Tournament results
Press release